Overrated skaters!

Re: Re: The most overrated skaters/programs/comps

Originally posted by Germanice Sorry, but if we can't discuss openly about our true opinions, likes and dislikes any more, skating message boards like this would be totally unneccessary in the future. Naturally I do not agree with every single point Lulu made , but neither her post nor this thread in general is disrespectful. If you want to know what lack of respect really is, read my posts :o or listen to Dick Button- and/or Peggy-Flemming-TV-commentaries about the Russian Ladies ... :D

I agree with you about Peggy's and Dick's comments about the Russian ladies, but I'd rather listen to them than to Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezik. They egged each other on in their bias towards North American skaters, and I thought it was a total embarrasment. I felt like we were back in the days of the Cold War.

Re: Overrated skaters!

How to say everything without saying anything! I wonder who you were going to say, LOL.

Yags footwork: I know I know, I have sinned. I just don't see the big deal about his footwork. (Currently being exhiled to skating purgatory). -- Lulu

I think it's a question of, "what have you done for us lately?" When Alexei first came out with the Morosov footwork in Winter, I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought it was the best men's short program ever. But then, we started seeing the same steps over and over, and then everyone else started doing the same thing, including Michelle and Sasha -- so it didn't seem so special after a while.

Re: Re: Overrated skaters!

Originally posted by Mathman I think it's a question of, "what have you done for us lately?" When Alexei first came out with the Morosov footwork in Winter, I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought it was the best men's short program ever. But then, we started seeing the same steps over and over, and then everyone else started doing the same thing, including Michelle and Sasha -- so it didn't seem so special after a while.

Winter is a really nice program, and very clever (I mean, catchy). But personally I don't see anything as special as many other people do in it. One of the best footwork Yags has ever done was in Revolution Etude. His new (from last year) SP also has better footwork. As well as few more of his programs. So, in my opinion Winter is overrated.

As for skaters themselves, my definitions of overrated would be when people treats them as goddesses and gods instead of hard-working, very talented, special in their own way, but still only human beings. I've seen quite a few skaters being overrated like that: Kwan, Yagudin, Cohen, etc. The more popular some skater is the more likely is it to happen, I think.

Thanks Anke. Don't worry, I don't agree with everything you say either

Again, I wasn't trying to offend anyone.
Truth be told there are things, in some cases more than one that I like about all of the skaters I mentioned. And there are things that I don't care for as much as others might.
That's the end on that subject.

Speaking of overrated comps-How about the 4CC? Or is it even overrated? I read somewhere that it will someday overtake Europeans in terms of prestige and importance. That might happen someday-but not now. The problem I think, is that the USFSA seems to treat the 4CC as a "poor cousin"-by not sending their top tier skaters to it. I wonder how the 4CC is viewed in Asia? I do notice that nations like China and Japan do tend to send their top level skaters (S&Z and Honda for example). So maybe it is viewed differently there.

I'm not sure if USFSA sees Four Continents as a second-tier event; i think it's more a case that the Michelle Kwans and the Tim Goebles see it as such. With Worlds looming very soon on the horizon, and the fact that the event is usually held in Asia, the top U.S. singles skaters (I say singles - notice that the top U.S. pairs and ice dancers usually attend) just don't seem to see it as worthy of their time and effort. This year, Four Continents will be in Canada, so it will be interesting to see if having it this close to home will make it more appealing (of course, if Michelle is sticking to her streamlined schedule that worked so well last year, that means she may still pass on it). Also note that the top Canadians are usually there as well. So you could wonder if the lack of top U.S. singles is what's holding it back. It seems it's just not a prestigeous (sp?) enough title for them, and the irony is it could become prestigeous if they did attend (!). About the only good thingabout the situation is that it give a chance for skaters like Jenny Kirk (and Tatiana Malinina and Jeff Buttle) the chance to say "hey, I won an ISU Championship!"